Ten states are being granted waivers to free them from some requirements of the No Child Left Behind education reform law , with President Barack Obama explaining Thursday that the move aims to `` combine greater freedom with greater accountability . ''

Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Minnesota , New Jersey , Oklahoma , and Tennessee are the first of what could be many more states that will no longer have to meet 2014 targets set by the law .

In exchange for that flexibility , those states `` have agreed to raise standards , improve accountability , and undertake essential reforms to improve teacher effectiveness , '' the White House said in a statement Thursday morning .

Obama elaborated on the rationale for the decision later in the day , speaking at a White House event attended by teachers and school superintendents .

He stressed that his administration remains committed to the overarching goals of raising standards and closing the achievement gap in the nation 's public schools . At the same time , `` We determined we need a different approach '' than what was prescribed by the landmark legislation .

`` We 've offered every state the same deal : We 've said , if you 're willing to set higher , more honest standards then we 're going to give you the flexibility to meet those standards , '' Obama said .

Each of those states granted waivers Thursday offered different approaches . Massachusetts , for instance , set a goal to slash its number of underperfoming students by half within six years ; Colorado is setting up a comprehensive online database of assessment measures , among other steps ; and New Jersey is developing an `` early warning '' system in an effort to prevent students from dropping out of school .

New Mexico also requested such flexibility from the No Child Left Behind law , and the Obama administration is working closely with that state . Another 28 states , Puerto Rico , and the District of Columbia also have indicated plans to seek such flexibility , according to the White House .

`` This is good news for our kids , it 's good news for our country , '' the president said of the waivers , adding that one approach may work well in one part of the country while another may better suit another place . `` If we 're serious about seeing our children reach their full potential , the best ideas are n't just going to come from here in Washington . ''

John Kline , R-Minnesota , and Duncan Hunter , R-California , sent a joint letter last summer to Education Secretary Arne Duncan calling the then prospect of allowing waivers a `` cause for concern . ''

`` Issuing new demands in exchange for relief could result in greater regulations and confusion for schools and less transparency for parents , '' the two House Education and the Workforce Committee members wrote . `` Additionally , the proposal raises questions about the department 's legal authority to grant constitutional waivers in exchange for reforms not authorized by Congress . ''

And last month , Kline again criticized Obama for having `` the audacity to circumvent the people 's elected representatives by granting No Child Left Behind waivers with special strings attached , '' according to a press release from his office .

Still , the decision was cheered by leaders from several states -- many of them led by Republican governors -- who successfully obtained waivers , as well as the country 's largest teacher 's union .

Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson , for instance , said the change was needed , because having federal accountability measures `` overlaying '' state ones was `` confusing . ''

Georgia State School Superintendent John Barge described the waiver for his state as `` wonderful news for Georgia 's students , educators and parents . No longer will we be bound by the narrow definitions of success found in No Child Left Behind . ''

And Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels , who was President George W. Bush 's director of the Office of Management and Budget when the law was passed , described No Child Left Behind as `` an important step forward , but it needed additional flexibility that Congress has n't yet provided . ''

`` The waiver will make for a fairer system and one that focuses on what matters most : getting the whole system to perform better in terms of student learning , '' he said in a statement .

The president of the National Education Association , which represents 3.2 million teachers and administrators and has endorsed Obama 's re-election bid , lauded those states granted waivers who `` have committed to working with teachers , parents and other community stakeholders to implement changes designed to better support students . ''

At the same time , union President Dennis Van Roekel described the waivers as a temporary move as he pushed for passage of more `` comprehensive '' reform .

Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law in 2001 . One of the bipartisan bill 's sponsors was the late Sen. Ted Kennedy , a Democrat from Massachusetts . The law included a focus on measuring student outcomes , largely based on standardized test results .

Some supporters say it has helped close an achievement gap between disadvantaged students and others .

But the law is a source of controversy , with opponents arguing it is turning classrooms into test preparation centers , taking time away from subjects that are n't tested , and potentially contributing to cheating scandals .

Secretary Duncan says the law drives down standards , weakens accountability , causes narrowing of the curriculum and labels too many schools as failing , the White House said in its news release . `` Moreover , the law mandates unworkable remedies at the federal level instead of allowing local educators to make spending decisions , '' it said .

The law has been in need of reauthorization since 2007 , and the president has been critical of the lack of congressional action on the matter in recent years .

Last September , the Obama administration announced that states could apply for waivers from some provisions of the law if they meet other federal mandates .

To get the waivers , states had to adopt and have a plan to implement `` college and career-ready standards , '' the White House said . `` They must also create comprehensive systems of teacher and principal development , evaluation and support that include factors beyond test scores , such as principal observation , peer review , student work , or parent and student feedback . ''

Based on standards set by the existing law , more schools were listed as failing last year than in any previous year since the law 's passage . About 48 % of schools did not make what 's called `` adequate yearly progress '' in 2011 , up from 39 % in 2010 , according to the nonprofit Center on Education Policy .

In his remarks Thursday , Obama expressed confidence that the academic performance of the nation 's students would improve using a more flexible approach -- though he also emphasized that any change wo n't be instantaneous .

`` This is not a one-year project , this is n't a two-year project , '' he said . `` This is going to take some time , but we can get it done . ''

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A GOP lawmaker has said the waivers wrongly `` circumvent '' Congress

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Obama says the waivers `` combine greater freedom with greater accountability ''

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The 10 states will not have to meet 2014 targets set by the law , signed in 2001

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The states have agreed to raise standards and undertake reforms